New booking classes from 2019 LH group
Dec 12, 2018, 11:41 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: ZRH
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 462
New booking classes from 2019 LH group
Saw this in 20min this morning:
https://www.20min.ch/finance/news/story/Das-heisst-das-neue-Swiss-Preismodell-fuer-Kunden-28350588
Seems like the current pricing system was too transparent :-)
https://www.20min.ch/finance/news/story/Das-heisst-das-neue-Swiss-Preismodell-fuer-Kunden-28350588
Seems like the current pricing system was too transparent :-)
Dec 13, 2018, 12:42 pm
#3
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: HAG
Programs: Der 5* FTL
Posts: 8,051
Geez.
well honestly - I think it's about time someone went and did away with fare classes.
Only two things I'm worried about.
1. What about the upper bound... not that it's reached often, but sometimes, yes.
2. How will that translate to mileage earnings, especially with partners. I suppose we could get fare bucket "bands" instead of fares as we have now. Which might actually work well, if the airlines will pull the fare type surcharge into consideration. Paying up for flex or classic might be more worth it.
We would have a problem if airlines started offering personalized prices. But they could do that with existing fare class structure just as easily.
As to the articles doom and gloom that the prices will go up...
Prices will be what the market will bear - Lufthansa Group isn't known for shoddy revenue management. Whether the pricing steps will be now not be 20EUR but 10 or 5 is really no difference.
well honestly - I think it's about time someone went and did away with fare classes.
Only two things I'm worried about.
1. What about the upper bound... not that it's reached often, but sometimes, yes.
2. How will that translate to mileage earnings, especially with partners. I suppose we could get fare bucket "bands" instead of fares as we have now. Which might actually work well, if the airlines will pull the fare type surcharge into consideration. Paying up for flex or classic might be more worth it.
We would have a problem if airlines started offering personalized prices. But they could do that with existing fare class structure just as easily.
As to the articles doom and gloom that the prices will go up...
Prices will be what the market will bear - Lufthansa Group isn't known for shoddy revenue management. Whether the pricing steps will be now not be 20EUR but 10 or 5 is really no difference.
Dec 14, 2018, 8:08 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Stoke on Trent, UK (MAN ), BUE, BKK, DBV
Programs: LH HON***,UA,BA.EK Gold,AV.
Posts: 11,641
Its like a lottery now how many award miles the tickets earn. Don’t want that for status also.
Dec 29, 2018, 10:00 am
#6
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: BCN/SIN
Programs: SEN**, Ex TK Elite+, Ex IB Sapphire, Hyatt Gold, Bonvoy, Meliá Platinum
Posts: 649
It is just ridiculous. It is all too complicated, you need to be an expert to be able to understand all fare systems, booking classes and the miles awarded for them. I think LH group did a good job when they finally merged all booking classes (OS, LX, LH, SN, EW) under one roof, but all the rest was total mess. Now they have those stupid "fare families" and even if you book an expensive M class, you could easily be with 0 bags allowance because there is "Light" fare family. You pay 800€ for a flight within EU and you cannot check one bag??? Thank you, but no!
Dec 29, 2018, 3:34 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Montreux CH
Programs: FB Platinum, M&M FTL, BA Blue
Posts: 11,622
You certainly need an equivalent of a university degree to deal with the airlines these days, and I think that is unfair on the infrequent flyer. But the pricing system, somehow uncomfortably stuck between a fare class based system and a revenue based system, is extremely unclear and untenable in the long run I think. Some other solution, undoubtedly a compromise on the existing mess that come into being earlier this year (2018), needs to be found.
Dec 30, 2018, 6:15 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
You certainly need an equivalent of a university degree to deal with the airlines these days, and I think that is unfair on the infrequent flyer. But the pricing system, somehow uncomfortably stuck between a fare class based system and a revenue based system, is extremely unclear and untenable in the long run I think. Some other solution, undoubtedly a compromise on the existing mess that come into being earlier this year (2018), needs to be found.
Dec 31, 2018, 2:25 am
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Montreux CH
Programs: FB Platinum, M&M FTL, BA Blue
Posts: 11,622
Maybe, but I just don't think it works massively well. The endless problems at M&M this year show it was anything but smooth. It really is a pain having to reclaim miles like I never had to before (I always wait one month). As for the fare classes, it's totally inconsistent, sometimes crediting the old way. I think they have to do a huge amount of the work manually.
Jan 1, 2019, 3:02 pm
#10
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: HAG
Programs: Der 5* FTL
Posts: 8,051
It is just ridiculous. It is all too complicated, you need to be an expert to be able to understand all fare systems, booking classes and the miles awarded for them. I think LH group did a good job when they finally merged all booking classes (OS, LX, LH, SN, EW) under one roof, but all the rest was total mess. Now they have those stupid "fare families" and even if you book an expensive M class, you could easily be with 0 bags allowance because there is "Light" fare family. You pay 800€ for a flight within EU and you cannot check one bag??? Thank you, but no!
You certainly need an equivalent of a university degree to deal with the airlines these days, and I think that is unfair on the infrequent flyer. But the pricing system, somehow uncomfortably stuck between a fare class based system and a revenue based system, is extremely unclear and untenable in the long run I think. Some other solution, undoubtedly a compromise on the existing mess that come into being earlier this year (2018), needs to be found.
A ticket costs X. A ticket with a bag costs X+50. You get 6X miles.
That is simple and transparent.
Much easier to figure than a ticket costs X, and does not include a bag, unless X>Y in which case it does include a bag.
And you sometimes get 125 miles and sometimes 750, even if the other ticket is cheaper, because for that specific fare, buying a connection in H on LH is more expensive than buying the same connection in T on OS.
Course all that means it's worse for us who can and do take advantage of the system.
Jan 8, 2019, 6:30 am
#11
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,171
They are not creating new booking classes, but installing dynamic pricing so the jumps when one booking class is full is not so dramatic. for example today if K is full the next bucket in L is 100€ more. This will repeal buyers. Dynamic pricing will just make it 10-20€ more, in line with a ryanair or easyjet fare.